# English oak (Quercus robur)

> The classic broad-crowned oak of lowland Britain and Ireland, growing 20 to 40 m with a wide spreading crown and acorns on long stalks. Supports more wildlife than any other British tree (over 2,300 associated species) and is the backbone of most UK woodland-creation schemes. Far too large for small gardens but the first choice for parks, field corners and new native woodland.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/quercus-robur · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Pedunculate oak, Common oak
- Family: Fagaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 30 m; spread 25 m
- Growth: Slow growing; lives about 500 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 5 to 8
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Deep, fertile loams and heavy clays; tolerates wet winters, dislikes thin dry soils
- Native range: Native across most of Europe from Ireland and Britain to the Urals, the Caucasus and northern Türkiye.

**Benefits:** Shade, Wildlife, Birds, Pollinators, Long lived, Stores carbon well, Storm resistant

**Good for:** parks, Yard shade, Timber, Reforestation, Hedgerow

**Watch out for:** Large roots, Heavy litter, Pest prone

## Care

Plant bare-root whips in winter and protect from deer and voles; water in dry spells for the first two summers. Prune only to remove dead or crossing wood, in late winter. Watch for acute oak decline (bark bleeds), chronic oak decline and oak processionary moth (south-east England; its hairs cause rashes and breathing problems, report sightings rather than touch nests).

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Germany; France; ENG, United Kingdom; NIR, United Kingdom; SCT, United Kingdom (Native but less common than sessile oak in the north and west); WLS, United Kingdom; Ireland; Poland
- **Adapted:** New Zealand (Introduced and naturalised on both main islands per WCVP); South Africa (Introduced (Cape Provinces, KwaZulu-Natal); not on the NEMBA 2020 list)
- **Recommended:** Sacramento, CA, United States (On the Sacramento Tree Foundation Shady 80 recommended trees list); Denver, CO, United States (On the Denver Office of the City Forester Approved Street Tree List); New York, NY, United States (On the NYC Parks Street Tree Planting Approved Species List)

## Sources

- https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/english-oak/
- https://www.gbif.org/species/2878688
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=280706
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-robur/